1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to plugs for closing sensor apertures in a seed tube of a row crop planting unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Agricultural seeding machines are typically provided with a seed meter and a furrow opener between which extends a seed tube. The seed meter measures the amount of seed received from a seed reservoir and meters the amount to be directed to the planting furrow formed by the furrow opener. The seed tube transports the seed from the seed meter to the planting furrow formed by the furrow opener.
A typical seed tube comprises a forward wall and a rear wall which are joined together by sidewalls forming a hollow tube. The forward and rear walls are curved rearwardly. As the seed is dropped from the seed meter it runs down the inside surface of the forward wall into the planting furrow.
To insure that the planting unit is operating correctly, the planter maybe provided with a planter monitor having a seed sensor. A typical seed sensor is marketed by Dickey-john Corporation of Auburn, Ill. The seed sensor components are mounted to the front and rear walls of the seed tube. The front wall is provided with a first sensor aperture and the rear wall is provided with a second sensor aperture. A light is projected from a light source located in the second sensor aperture of the rear wall across the seed tube to a light receiver located in the sensor aperture of the forward wall. Whenever a seed passes between the light source and the light receiver, the seed interrupts the light beam and the seed is detected.
Currently planter manufacturers need two different seed tubes for a specific planter configuration because not all farmers have planter monitors with seed sensors. As such the manufacture must have seed tubes without sensor apertures and seed tubes with sensor apertures for each planter configuration having a different seed tube. This leads to a proliferation of parts when the manufacturer has a number of planter configurations having different seed tubes.